Hawks’ top trade, free agent targets after drafting Kingston Flemings

While the ending of the season wasn’t ideal, the Atlanta Hawks find themselves on the trajectory to have an amazing offseason. Onsi Saleh and his front office pulled off an amazing haul in the first round of the 2026 NBA draft, drafting Houston’s Kingston Flemings with the 8th pick out of Houston and St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor with the 23rd pick out of St. John’s in the first round. Then, they made an absolute steal with their acquisition of Henri Veesaar out of North Carolina in a second-round trade with the Los Angeles Clippers

With those three picks, Saleh and his team were able to get exactly what the Hawks needed in terms of fit, which leaves the offseason to further fill out the roster to ensure the team will be competitive in the Eastern Conference. Competitiveness will certainly be tougher with Tyrese Halliburton’s return to the Indiana Pacers and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade to the Heat.

These are a couple of moves that I would like to see in free agency. Two are very obtainable free agents, if possible, and one is a trade that would be great to see, but it’s unlikely.

Sign: Isaiah Hartenstein and Tyus Jones

We have to face the realities of the 2026 free-agent class. As several impact players are quickly re-signing with their teams on new deals, there isn’t a lot of selection in this specific free agent class. Sure, the impending free agency of LeBron James and the team that he decides to go to is certainly intriguing, but the Hawks most likely aren’t in that sweepstakes.

Instead of trying to make splashy acquisitions, building out the team’s depth at positions of need should be essential. First, let’s start with Isaiah Hartenstein. This isn’t a given that the Hawks will be able to secure his services. Currently, the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to stay under the second tax apron and still keep their key players to retain their contender.

They’ve already made moves, one of which benefited Atlanta. The Hawks acquired Aaron Wiggins from the Thunder for two second-round draft picks earlier this week. The Thunder followed up on Friday by trading Isaiah Joe to the Pistons for two second-round draft picks.

While it remains to be seen how the Thunder will use their new wiggle room in their player payroll, there is a chance that Hartenstein could hit the market officially, and he should be at the top of the board for the Hawks. Hartenstein is a capable big man who shines on defense and can play an active role on offense, both in interior scoring and rebounding.

He also has playoff and championship experience and showed his worth by being the Thunder’s answer to the Victor Wembanyama problem early in the Western Conference Finals in May. It’s been reported that Hartenstein has been on Saleh’s and the Hawks’ radar for quite some time. Why not make it official?

And a move for Tyus Jones brings a productive veteran presence to the Hawks backcourt, which is absolutely needed following what we saw towards the end of the season following the Trae Young trade. In the first round vs. the New York Knicks, the Hawks had no half-court shot creation, and their offense often fell apart when transition buckets weren’t plentiful.

Jones can be a cheap option and a veteran presence in the backcourt, while still allowing the Hawks to run lineups where Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are the primary ball handlers. It also gives Flemings wiggle room to get minutes in the rotation and learn from the veteran point guard as he expands his skillset. He could one day end up a starter for this Hawks team.

Trade for: Jaylen Brown

Now I know this is a pretty pie-in-the-sky idea, though it has been reported that the Hawks have expressed interest in acquiring Brown. It’s clear that Saleh wants to build a young, long, and agile team that can show defensive versatility, speed, and athleticism in the playoffs. That roster-construction gamble almost worked to unseat the eventual NBA champions, after all. But the 2026 NBA playoffs have made many Hawks fans question if Jalen Johnson can truly be the first option on this team.

The Hawks gambled by trading Trae Young, as they were reluctant to pay a premium for his services. Much of the gamble was due to the potential trajectory of Jalen Johnson, who was named an All-Star and earned his first career All-NBA selection. But real questions have to be asked. Can Johnson truly make that leap that’s needed to make this team a contender? If the answer to that question is no, let Jaylen Brown return to Atlanta and be that 1A option.

Lost in the discourse about the future of Brown with the Celtics is the fact that he is still a great player in his prime. The Celtics were expected to be at the bottom of the East. With Jayson Tatum sidelined by his Achilles injury, sustained in the 2025 playoffs, the Celtics were still competitive with Brown as the team leader. They were second in the East when the playoffs ended, and they were a Jayson Tatum injury away from winning Game 7 and eventually advancing to face the New York Knicks, where the matchup very well could have gone differently for that Knicks team.

Jaylen Brown stepped up when it mattered and proved that he can truly be the best player on a playoff contender. If any team trades for him, that’s the bet that they’re making. For the Hawks, I like the team’s roster where it is. Acquiring Wiggins via trade and Flemings, Ejiofor, and Veesaar in the draft are really solid moves. I don’t see the need for any other trade unless it’s a blockbuster trade that truly puts Atlanta on the map as a contender for the NBA championship. Jaylen Brown does that for the team.

Will it happen? Likely not, but Hawks fans shouldn’t act like he wouldn’t be a game-changer in the A.

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